Doctoral Programs

A Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota is designed for students who wish to pursue a research-focused career in academia or industry.

In a CEGE Ph.D. program...

  • you will combine coursework with independent research
  • you can complete your program four to six years of full-time study with a completed undergraduate degree
  • you are not required to hold a master’s degree in civil engineering to be admitted. However, a master's degree is highly recommended. Students entering the graduate program with a bachelor’s degree are typically asked to complete the master's degree before continuing on for a Ph.D. degree
  • your graduate course credits earned in the MS program could be accepted to meet Ph.D. coursework requirements

University of Minnesota Graduate School

How to Apply

  

Quinn Whiting (MS 2020)
Quinn Whiting (MS Civil Engineering, 2020) was awarded one of only two 2021 Master’s Thesis Awards from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP).

Co-directed Ph.D. Programs

Top national and international graduate students might be interested in this competitive program that offers a unique social and cultural dimension to post-graduate education. The program is designed to educate an elite workforce of scholars and researchers prepared for leadership in a globalized society.

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How does the co-directed Ph.D. program work?

The program leads to a single Ph.D. degree that is jointly conferred by two universities. The University of Minnesota currently has agreements with Ecole Polytechnique in Paris, France, and the University of Liège in Belgium.

Students enrolled in a co-directed Ph.D. will have two advisers, one from the University of Minnesota and the other from an international partner university. Participating students will travel between the two institutions, splitting their time approximately evenly, and students must meet the requirements of both universities.

What are the admision requirements for the co-directed Ph.D.?

The admission requirements include those stated for students applying for a Ph.D. degree in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering, plus

  • all applicants must have completed a master’s degree or equivalent in a related area.
  • must display proficiency in English (ensured by the existing UMN operational standards in terms of TOEFL scores). The co-directed Ph.D. program will be conducted in English.
  • two participating and eligible faculty members, one from the University of Minnesota and the other from a partner university, must have committed themselves to co-advising and financially supporting the applicant through degree completion (assuming satisfactory progress).

All eligible students, domestic and international, are encouraged to apply.

Who can I contact about the co-directed programs?

Ecole Polytechnique 
Paris, France
Bojan Guzina
guzin001@umn.edu

University of Liège 
Belgium
Emmanuel Detournay
detou001@umn.edu